Goneril and Regan character profile
Cruelty
both paricipate in the horrif scene of Gloucester having his eyes gouged out "pluck out his eyes"
threatening, autocratic, ambitious and cruel
as women
not the usual woman that are seen in Shakespearean plays as they possess qualities usually seen in men
After cornwall is wounded Regan rescues him - no damsel in destress and actions show violence to save her husband
"give me thy sword" [takes sword, runs at FIRST SERVANT behind and kills him]
"it is the cowish terror of his spirit that dares not undertake... I must change names at home, and give the distaff into my husbands hands" - extremely controlling and influenctial on her husband taking charge of the household and troops, doesnt just rule the private sphere but the public too which is traditionally dominated by men, reversal of gender expectations as husband fit to domestic duties as she takes charge
dangers of Shakespeares portrayal of the sisters
presents a distorted image of female experince on both the good and bad identity and it conflicts against each other
supposedly liberating to see Cordelias courageousness but it is contrasted with the sisters deceitfulness whihc is problematic as it could be interpreted that the tragedy occurs when we devaite from patriarchal ruling
suggests woman are unworthy to govern themsleves as they are either passive or manipulative
Shakepeare portrays misogyny within the sisters relationship and the binary oppositions of men versus women become women versus women and seems to marginalise them
portrayed as equals to dukes and earls and no less than them
descriptions of the sisters
"sharp-toothed...like a vulture" - animal imagery and they both are later destroyed by animal instincts
"serpent like"
"gentle and low an exciting thing in a woman" - about cordelia, R+G subvert the feminine requirements of a woman and set out to detroy the family and state
"unnatural hags"
eliminates the famale characters which jepodise the masculine identity and rule
demonised as they are portrayed as woman attempting to seize power that rightfully belongs to men and at the same time are loose women whose sexualities have escaped their husbands control
they are called unnatural as they display characteristics that typically are perceived as male eg ambition, ruthlessness and hunger for power
"women will all turn monsters" A3S7 - women will all become purveyors of cruelty and society is better off without women
in the play women seen as emasculating, disloyal, promiscuous and root of all problems and king lear has serious issues with women in particular when his daughters betray him and he begins a distribe against women
Jacobean audience
Goneril and Regans vindictiveness and assertiveness would have been shocking to a Jacobean audience as Renaissance models of femininity required women to be passive and submissive
relationship with Lear
act 1 scene 4 Goneril follows plan to get a confrontations with Lear - purposefully arrives late, has Oswald address him as "My lady's father" instead of king
reationship between the sisters
rivalry already asserted from the beginning love test - Regan "She comes too short" dismissing Gonerils declaration and feeling she can do better, childlike game
start rivalry foreshadows future competition between them with Edmund
beginning Lear believes the sisters love him based on their artificial and superficial speeches
by promising to divide his kingdom based on who loves him most has essentially pitted daughter against daughter and suggest sibling rivalry is predominat in motivation for power
Lear favours Cordelias and already had saved her the best portion of land whihc clearly would lead to the sisters envying their younger sister and resent their fathers favouritism
Lear vows to do "terrible things" A2S4 to avenge himself against the sisters yet he is unsure what to do - beginning to realise he has no more power and cannot reclaim his authority
association with disease
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